BOOKMAKING CHARGE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21404, 21 February 1935, Page 11

BOOKMAKING CHARGE

FINES OF £3O IMPOSED AT TIMARU l (BFSCIAL 70 THB VMBS.) TIMARU, February 20. Pleading guilty to two charges of laying totalisator odds on the result of the Dunedin Jockey Club's Handicap on February 16, Alfred Theophilus Lee Huston was fined £3O by Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day. Detective L. Studholme stated that when arrested Huston had in his possession a note-book setting out bets totalling £97, and extending over two days. He had £4O in his possession. He had three previous convictions. Mr W. D. Campbell, for accused, said that he was formerly a bookmaker in a big way, but partly in consequence of his last conviction several years ago he had practically no bets for three years. People who had done business with him previously then asked him to take bets again, and he had done so. The bets in his note-book were fairly small, although the total might seem formidable. The magistrate said that in view of Huston's age, which was 60 years, he was against sending him to prison, but the fact could not be overlooked that he had been convicted previously and fined £2O on each of two charges. On the first charge in the present instance he would be fined £2O with an order for costs, and on the second charge he would be fined £lO with an order for costs.